


without saying a word, you can light up the dark

by ourdarkspirits



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28392216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ourdarkspirits/pseuds/ourdarkspirits
Summary: Not all surprises are this nice. Coming home to two of your favorite people when both of them are supposed to be gone is Phryne's favorite type of surprise.
Relationships: Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53
Collections: Fandom Trumps Hate 2020





	without saying a word, you can light up the dark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EffieAgo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EffieAgo/gifts).



> Thanks for your patience! I hope you like it!
> 
> Title is from “When you say Nothing at All” by Alison Krauss

It’s dark and late and Phryne is tired. She’s not used to feeling like this. When she had started working as a private detective—or as Jack would, say haranguing the police while they did their jobs—she was having fun. She still has fun. But tonight, she’s exhausted. 

She hates the cases like this, where vulnerable people are the victims. She’s seen enough of powerful people victimizing those who have no protections for multiple lifetimes. Normally, she would have worked with Jack on this case, but he’s not here. Some business to attend to, he said, and life goes on without him so she does, too. She shakes her head at herself. There’s no use thinking about it.

Phryne lets herself into the house and shuts the door quietly behind her. Everyone should be asleep at a time like this and there’s no point in waking anyone up on her account. She thinks she’ll stop by the kitchen and make herself some hot cocoa. She’s not quite ready to go to bed yet: too much on her mind.

When she gets there, she’s surprised there’s still a light on. Bert and Cec had still been around when she’d left earlier in the day, but she didn’t expect them to be around this late. Dot hasn’t been here this late since before she married Hugh. Jane is still at school and Jack is away on business. And Mr. Butler is never up this late. 

Phryne inches closer to the kitchen. She has a pistol in her clutch. She always does, especially when she’s working. A lady must always be prepared for any eventuality. Low voices drift through the door, but she’s not close enough to make out whose they are or what they are saying. 

When she finally opens the door she’s greeted with a surprising and welcome sight. “Jack!” she cries, “And Jane!”

Jane gets up and rushes to where Phryne is still framed in the doorway and throws her arms around her waist. It occurs to her that Jane is just about too tall to hug her like that anymore but she doesn’t comment on it, simply returns the hug with a warm greeting. She makes eye contact with Jack over the top of Jane’s head and he offers her a small smile. 

“I didn’t expect to see either of you here,” Phryne remarks wryly as Jane pulls away from her. 

“You know me,” Jane says with a bright grin. “I can’t stay at school for too long.”

“No, I suppose not,” Phryne agrees. “And I really shouldn’t have expected that to change.”

“Anyway, I can’t have you starting to expect me,” Jane replies with a mischievous grin. “You would get complacent.”

“We can’t have that. But we will be bringing you back tomorrow,” Phryne tells her with her best serious adult voice. However, she can’t be too upset with Jane for escaping the school again, not when she enjoys seeing the people she cares about so much. 

“One more day,” Jane negotiates and Phryne can’t really say no to her. Not when she’s so happy to see both of them. 

“Fine,” Phryne agrees. “You’re going back the day after tomorrow.”

She turns to Jack, who hasn’t said anything since she arrived. Neither of them say anything until after Jane hugs her triumphantly one more time before returning to the steaming mug at the kitchen table. 

Once Jane is seated, Phryne looks at Jack fully. She feels a smile growing on her face. “Hello, Jack,” she says warmly.

“Phryne,” he replies.

There have been times when they should have said more. Communicated better. So much hurt that could have been avoided had they only said what they meant. There have also been times when no words were necessary at all, when they each knew what the other meant in silence. This time, so much is spoken in the silent glance they exchange. It’s comfortable.

“I didn’t expect you before the end of the week,” Phryne says, making her way to the stove. After all, she had come to the kitchen for hot cocoa. She’s not going to let the presence of Jack and Jane distract her from her original goal.

“I thought so, too,” Jack admits. “I managed to wrap everything up today and I didn’t particularly care to stay away any longer than I had to.”

Phryne turns from her task. “Why, Jack. Are you saying you missed me?”

“Of course I am,” Jack replies.

It’s silly, but a warmth spreads through Phryne at Jack’s plain admission. She turns to him and the look they share doesn’t need words. Although there have been times when they should have spoken to each other, this is not one of those moments. This feeling that she doesn’t need to say anything is what she had been craving when she let herself into the house earlier.

By the time her milk has heated, Jane is almost done with her own cocoa. She’s been watching the pair of them since she sat back down and she has the distinct impression that once she’s finished her drink, she will be out of her seat and up the stairs before Phryne can even blink. 

Jane takes her last sip just as Phryne sets down with her mug, and as she predicted, hops up and places her mug on the counter, running out of the room with a hurried good night, before either adult can say anything else.

Phryne watches Jane’s departure with a raised eyebrow and a feeling of amusement. “Jane has all the subtlety of an elephant,” she remarks.

“Indeed,” Jack agrees. “I can’t say I don’t appreciate her strategy, however.”

“No,” she says. “I’m glad you’re back.”

“I am too.” After a moment’s silence, he adds, “Do you want to talk about the case you were working?” 

She hums, thoughtful. “Not particularly,” she says. “I think I’d rather just enjoy this.”

Jack nods and they sit in companionable silence, taking their time to finish their cocoa. Once finished, she finds herself staring at the bottom of her mug. It’s not like her to be nervous with Jack, and she isn't, not really. She just hasn’t decided what she wants. Jack seems to read her, however. He stands up and brings both of their mugs to the counter next to Jane’s, then turns to her and offers his hand. She takes it with a smile and the pair of them walk upstairs. The house is quiet as she lets them into her bedroom. Once behind the closed door, Phryne finally wraps her arms around him, something she’s been wanting to do since she saw him there in the warm light of her kitchen. His arms come up around her and she feels the day melt away. 

“Come to bed with me, Jack,” she murmurs, tilting her head back to look at him.

He presses a gentle kiss to her lips and says, “I would love to.”


End file.
